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The Hacker Ethic: A Radical Approach to the Philosophy of Business
You may be a hacker and not even know it. Being a hacker has nothing to do with cyberterrorism, and it doesn’t even necessarily relate to the open-source movement. Being a hacker has more to do with your underlying assumptions about stress, time management, work, and play. It’s about harmonizing the rhythms of your creative work with the rhythms of the rest of your life so that they amplify each other. It is a fundamentally new work ethic that is revolutionizing the way business is being done around the world.
Without hackers there would be no universal access to e-mail, no Internet, no World Wide Web, but the hacker ethic has spread far beyond the world of computers. It is a mind-set, a philosophy, based on the values of play, passion, sharing, and creativity, that has the potential to enhance every individual’s and company’s productivity and competitiveness. Now there is a greater need than ever for entrepreneurial versatility of the sort that has made hackers the most important innovators of our day. Pekka Himanen shows how we all can make use of this ongoing transformation in the way we approach our working lives.
Without hackers there would be no universal access to e-mail, no Internet, no World Wide Web, but the hacker ethic has spread far beyond the world of computers. It is a mind-set, a philosophy, based on the values of play, passion, sharing, and creativity, that has the potential to enhance every individual’s and company’s productivity and competitiveness. Now there is a greater need than ever for entrepreneurial versatility of the sort that has made hackers the most important innovators of our day. Pekka Himanen shows how we all can make use of this ongoing transformation in the way we approach our working lives.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
About the author
Pekka Himanen
10 books19 followersPekka Himanen defines himself as a philosopher and a public intellectual. He studied philosophy (and computer science as a minor) at the University of Helsinki. In 1994, with his thesis on the philosophy of religion, The challenge of Bertrand Russell, he received his Ph.D. in philosophy from the same university, thus becoming the youngest Ph.D. in Finland.
He has done research work in Finland (University of Helsinki), the United Kingdom, and the United States (Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley) and has done field work in India, China and Japan. At UC Berkeley, Himanen directed the Berkeley Center for the Information Society, a research group under Berkeley's International Computer Science Institute. The Center was active from September 2002 until 2005 [3].
He has done research work in Finland (University of Helsinki), the United Kingdom, and the United States (Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley) and has done field work in India, China and Japan. At UC Berkeley, Himanen directed the Berkeley Center for the Information Society, a research group under Berkeley's International Computer Science Institute. The Center was active from September 2002 until 2005 [3].
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November 15, 2014
El título hace una evidente referencia a la Etica Protestante y el Espíritu del Capitalismo. La Etica del Hacker trata de extender el análisis de la Etica Protestante y al mismo tiempo contrastarla.
El libro enfrenta la noción protestante de articular todo alrededor del trabajo (algo que, según la lectura de Himanen aún permea la organización de nuestra vida contemporánea, donde todos los aspectos de la misma se articulan alrededor del deber del trabajo, incluyendo--y quizá sobre todo--el ocio), con la noción hacker donde todo se articula (o debiera articularse) alrededor de la pasión. La pasión es el motor del hacker. Esta noción no destruye el significado o la importancia del trabajo. De hecho, es a través del trabajo que el hacker manifiesta su pasión. Pero no hace el trabajo el fin en si mismo. Es sólo una herramienta que canaliza el deseo ferviente del hacker de hacer algo (descubrir, crear, conocer, comunicar, lo que sea--pues el hacker no es sólo aquel cuya pasión está ligada a un teclado de computador... mucho menos aquel que, a través de ese teclado, busca dañar). Tampoco es tan iluso el hacker para obviar el rol del dinero, pero al igual que el trabajo, el dinero no es un fin en si mismo. Es sólo parte de la realidad y un agradable resultado del proceso de creación. La satisfacción del dinero para el habitual y genérico trabajador de la ética protestante puede ser reemplazada por la satisfacción que genera el dar curso a la pasión de cada cual, por el reconocimiento (moral, mas que todo) de sus pares hackers y por la percepción de estar haciendo algo útil, que sirva. Suena un poquito idealizado, pero es probablemente un intento de racionalizar y formalizar un grupo de características que quizá no compartan todos los hackers, pero que probablemente vean como una proyección grupal o un ideal de cuerpo.
Un resultado natural de esas características, una consecuencia de esos principios es que los hackers no buscan proteger lo que crean. Muy al contrario, buscan compartirlo. De ahí todo el principio del Open Source, del software libre y la colaboración de las masas, aparentemente sin ánimo de ganancia egoísta, y mas bien como una herramienta para un aprendizaje común y continuo. No por nada quien escribe el prólogo de este libro es Linus Torvalds, el creador de Linux, uno de los gurus en el panteón hacker. Y con razón. Y no por nada Bill Gates sirve frecuentemente con anti-ejemplo de los valores hackers. También con razón.
Cierra el libro Manuel Castells con un epílogo algo menos estructurado y claro, que diluye el impacto del mensaje. Pero las dos primeras partes valen bien la lectura.
La Etica Protestante también estructura y formaliza una forma de pensar resultante del desarrollo capitalista que finalmente dominó el mundo. La Etica del Hacker, me da la impresión, trata de estructura un deseo, un ideal que, viendo el impacto a la fecha, quizá no domine nunca nada, aunque si tenga un impacto. El trabajo (no sólo en el mundo de los teclados) seguirá probablemente siendo el eje de la vida del homo sapiens, pero habrá siempre un puñado de gente que vivirá y creará siguiendo su pasión. Quizá siempre serán la minoría, pero ahí estarán siempre y generarán un impacto mayor que lo que su reducido número pueda indicar.
El libro enfrenta la noción protestante de articular todo alrededor del trabajo (algo que, según la lectura de Himanen aún permea la organización de nuestra vida contemporánea, donde todos los aspectos de la misma se articulan alrededor del deber del trabajo, incluyendo--y quizá sobre todo--el ocio), con la noción hacker donde todo se articula (o debiera articularse) alrededor de la pasión. La pasión es el motor del hacker. Esta noción no destruye el significado o la importancia del trabajo. De hecho, es a través del trabajo que el hacker manifiesta su pasión. Pero no hace el trabajo el fin en si mismo. Es sólo una herramienta que canaliza el deseo ferviente del hacker de hacer algo (descubrir, crear, conocer, comunicar, lo que sea--pues el hacker no es sólo aquel cuya pasión está ligada a un teclado de computador... mucho menos aquel que, a través de ese teclado, busca dañar). Tampoco es tan iluso el hacker para obviar el rol del dinero, pero al igual que el trabajo, el dinero no es un fin en si mismo. Es sólo parte de la realidad y un agradable resultado del proceso de creación. La satisfacción del dinero para el habitual y genérico trabajador de la ética protestante puede ser reemplazada por la satisfacción que genera el dar curso a la pasión de cada cual, por el reconocimiento (moral, mas que todo) de sus pares hackers y por la percepción de estar haciendo algo útil, que sirva. Suena un poquito idealizado, pero es probablemente un intento de racionalizar y formalizar un grupo de características que quizá no compartan todos los hackers, pero que probablemente vean como una proyección grupal o un ideal de cuerpo.
Un resultado natural de esas características, una consecuencia de esos principios es que los hackers no buscan proteger lo que crean. Muy al contrario, buscan compartirlo. De ahí todo el principio del Open Source, del software libre y la colaboración de las masas, aparentemente sin ánimo de ganancia egoísta, y mas bien como una herramienta para un aprendizaje común y continuo. No por nada quien escribe el prólogo de este libro es Linus Torvalds, el creador de Linux, uno de los gurus en el panteón hacker. Y con razón. Y no por nada Bill Gates sirve frecuentemente con anti-ejemplo de los valores hackers. También con razón.
Cierra el libro Manuel Castells con un epílogo algo menos estructurado y claro, que diluye el impacto del mensaje. Pero las dos primeras partes valen bien la lectura.
La Etica Protestante también estructura y formaliza una forma de pensar resultante del desarrollo capitalista que finalmente dominó el mundo. La Etica del Hacker, me da la impresión, trata de estructura un deseo, un ideal que, viendo el impacto a la fecha, quizá no domine nunca nada, aunque si tenga un impacto. El trabajo (no sólo en el mundo de los teclados) seguirá probablemente siendo el eje de la vida del homo sapiens, pero habrá siempre un puñado de gente que vivirá y creará siguiendo su pasión. Quizá siempre serán la minoría, pero ahí estarán siempre y generarán un impacto mayor que lo que su reducido número pueda indicar.
November 16, 2007
An outstanding philosophical discussion on work, play, and living. This book closely aligns with the other two books in my list, "Maverick" and "The Seven Day Weekend". The author makes and outstanding argument that the typical idea that pervades Western thought when it comes to working, The Protestant Work Ethic (which he explains is not a religious concept), is no longer valid. He introduces the Hacker Ethic, a way to enjoy doing what you do to make a living. The book is highly intriguing and thought provoking and often requires a second read.
I highly recommed it (even three or four times)
I highly recommed it (even three or four times)
July 15, 2019
It is the first book which I have read multible times. This book helps to look current life at different angles.
July 21, 2019
El libro, si bien no se caracteriza por poseer un lenguaje críptico, se vale de conceptos técnicos propios de las ciencias sociales, enmarcandose en sus líneas generales como una investigación sociológica . Esto se evidencia desde el título que como se mencionaba más arriba, hace clara refencia a la investigación del sociólogo Max Weber, denominada "La ética protestante y el espíritu del capitalismo"; es más, podría decirse que ell libro consiste en analizar las continuidades y rupturas que existen entre la ética del trabajo observada por Weber en los albores del capitalismo, la ética del trabajo del capitalismo actual, y la ética hacker del trabajo . Además, posee un epílogo de Manuel Castells, el sociologo más citado en lo que va de siglo.
Esto, como se evidencia en algunas otras reseñas que se han hecho, podría decepcionar a aquel lector que busca una lectura más cercana a al periodismo o al ensayo, que es de donde habitualmente se aborda la temática hacker en la literatura de no ficción. Principalmente resalto la originalidad de la temática y el abordaje, pues aunque hay planteamientos debatibles y algunas líneas inconclusas o sólo abordadas someramente, es bastante estimulante encontrar literatura especializada sobre un tema que no es común (al menos en las ciencias sociales latinoaméricanas) y que a su vez posea un balance adecuado entre rigurosidad y claridad (algo extremadamente raro, ya que se suele sacrificar una en beneficio de la otra).
Esto, como se evidencia en algunas otras reseñas que se han hecho, podría decepcionar a aquel lector que busca una lectura más cercana a al periodismo o al ensayo, que es de donde habitualmente se aborda la temática hacker en la literatura de no ficción. Principalmente resalto la originalidad de la temática y el abordaje, pues aunque hay planteamientos debatibles y algunas líneas inconclusas o sólo abordadas someramente, es bastante estimulante encontrar literatura especializada sobre un tema que no es común (al menos en las ciencias sociales latinoaméricanas) y que a su vez posea un balance adecuado entre rigurosidad y claridad (algo extremadamente raro, ya que se suele sacrificar una en beneficio de la otra).
February 7, 2018
When we've finished our work for the day, is spending the rest of the evening in leisure a way to give your life meaning? And if not, what is it?
I expected more discussion about the problems of e.g. exposing a flaw in a banking system. If you don't expose it, the bank might never fix it. If you expose it, you have acted similarly to someone who is committing a crime. This book was more about what it means to be a hacker, and what drives hackers in life.
I would prefer it if the book used less "*-ism" kind of words, and instead defined terms it's talking about, and devoted more time to explaining connections between concepts.
I expected more discussion about the problems of e.g. exposing a flaw in a banking system. If you don't expose it, the bank might never fix it. If you expose it, you have acted similarly to someone who is committing a crime. This book was more about what it means to be a hacker, and what drives hackers in life.
I would prefer it if the book used less "*-ism" kind of words, and instead defined terms it's talking about, and devoted more time to explaining connections between concepts.
November 30, 2011
Finally, a book that embraces my kind of work ethic as something other than "disorganized laziness". A great read that goes quickly and offers some interesting ideas on how the ethics of the hacker world could make the world a better place for everyone.
February 6, 2015
A classic
Read
June 19, 2020Actually, it answered two questions that had been floating in my mind for a while. When I was trying to learn more about open source software to teach a class on it, I did a google search. Lots of articles came up questioning whether capitalism and open-source software could co-exist. While I would not be at all disturbed if open-source software turned out to be a socialist or communist phenomenon, it was still interesting. Why would people spend lots of time working on Linux if they weren't going to be paid? According to The Hacker Ethic, the answer is a passion for their mission, and enjoyment of what they do.
The other question was more of a frustration with the sorts of jobs available. Every day I help people apply to work at Wal-Mart, Wendy's, or various nursing homes as custodians. These jobs are awful. Why are there only crappy jobs out there? How can people really feel fulfilled by or proud of this sort of work? The Hacker Ethic described the "optimization of time" as meaning that people spend time at work, rather than fulfilling the role of the worker. It discussed the privilege of being able to structure one's own time. This was accepted in the Middle Ages and then got lost in the Industrial Revolution. Now, everything is about scheduling and optimizing your time, so that you can get more done during your workday and even during your leisure time. The hacker ethic blurs the distinction between work and leisure in a very interesting way.
The "hacker ethic" itself felt more like a religious philosophy than an ethic. It has a triumvirate core, set out by Linus Torvalds himself in the prologue, of survival, entertainment/passion, and social ties. It even has its own gospel (if you haven't seen the Gospel According to Tux, check it out here: http://www.ao.com/~regan/penguins/tux... , it's hilarious, Bill Gates says, "I am the Gates of Hell; I hold the portal to MSNBC and the keys to the Blue Screen of Death"). The book spent lots of time comparing the hacker work ethic with the Protestant and monastic work ethics. It also discussed the need for privacy and freedom on the Net.
3. Why should other corps members read or not read this book?
It's great! It will leave you wanting to become a hacker (and understanding the true meaning of the word). Although the other part of the title is "a radical approach to the philosophy of business," it felt refreshing and was very readable.
The other question was more of a frustration with the sorts of jobs available. Every day I help people apply to work at Wal-Mart, Wendy's, or various nursing homes as custodians. These jobs are awful. Why are there only crappy jobs out there? How can people really feel fulfilled by or proud of this sort of work? The Hacker Ethic described the "optimization of time" as meaning that people spend time at work, rather than fulfilling the role of the worker. It discussed the privilege of being able to structure one's own time. This was accepted in the Middle Ages and then got lost in the Industrial Revolution. Now, everything is about scheduling and optimizing your time, so that you can get more done during your workday and even during your leisure time. The hacker ethic blurs the distinction between work and leisure in a very interesting way.
The "hacker ethic" itself felt more like a religious philosophy than an ethic. It has a triumvirate core, set out by Linus Torvalds himself in the prologue, of survival, entertainment/passion, and social ties. It even has its own gospel (if you haven't seen the Gospel According to Tux, check it out here: http://www.ao.com/~regan/penguins/tux... , it's hilarious, Bill Gates says, "I am the Gates of Hell; I hold the portal to MSNBC and the keys to the Blue Screen of Death"). The book spent lots of time comparing the hacker work ethic with the Protestant and monastic work ethics. It also discussed the need for privacy and freedom on the Net.
3. Why should other corps members read or not read this book?
It's great! It will leave you wanting to become a hacker (and understanding the true meaning of the word). Although the other part of the title is "a radical approach to the philosophy of business," it felt refreshing and was very readable.
May 29, 2020
On mielenkiintoista pohtia mitä arvoja työelämässä ja yhteiskunnassa noudatetaan ja mikä voisi olla toimiva eettinen järjestelmä tietotekniikassa ja muualla yhteiskunnassa. Näin vaatimattomaan kysymykseen pyrkii Pekka Himanen vastaamaan kirjassaan Hakkerietiikka (WSOY 2001). Kirjassa esitellään hakkerit henkilöinä, jotka ovat innoissaan ohjelmoinnista ja jotka uskovat, että informaationjakaminen on voimallinen hyvä ja että hakkerien eettinen velvollisuus on jakaa osaamisensa kirjoittamalla vapaita ohjelmistoja sekä edistää kaikin mahdollisin tavoin ihmisten pääsyä informaation ja ja tietotekniikan käyttöön.
Himanen vertaa taidokkaasti hakkerientyöetiikkaa perinteiseen protestanttiseen etiikkaan. Kirjassa käsitellään jokainen arvo erikseen, mutta tiivistettynä protenstanttisella etiikalla tarkoitetaan luostariyhteisöstä syntynyttä järjestelmää, jonka monet yritykset ovat sisällyttäneet omaan toimintaansa. Protestanttisen etiikan arvot ovat raha, työ, optimaalisuus, joustavuus, vakaus, määrätietoisuus ja tulosvastuullisuus.
Himanen määrittelee hakkerietikaan arvot intohimon ohjaamisena, vapautena, toiminnan motivoimisena avoimuuden ja sosiaalinen arvokkuuden kokemisen kautta, (suhde verkostoihin) aktiivisuutena ja välittämisenä.
Suosittelen kirjaa niille, jotka haluavat pohtia omaa suhtautumistaan työhön tai omien arvojen pohjalla olevia dogmeja. Erittäin hyvä!
Himanen vertaa taidokkaasti hakkerientyöetiikkaa perinteiseen protestanttiseen etiikkaan. Kirjassa käsitellään jokainen arvo erikseen, mutta tiivistettynä protenstanttisella etiikalla tarkoitetaan luostariyhteisöstä syntynyttä järjestelmää, jonka monet yritykset ovat sisällyttäneet omaan toimintaansa. Protestanttisen etiikan arvot ovat raha, työ, optimaalisuus, joustavuus, vakaus, määrätietoisuus ja tulosvastuullisuus.
Himanen määrittelee hakkerietikaan arvot intohimon ohjaamisena, vapautena, toiminnan motivoimisena avoimuuden ja sosiaalinen arvokkuuden kokemisen kautta, (suhde verkostoihin) aktiivisuutena ja välittämisenä.
Suosittelen kirjaa niille, jotka haluavat pohtia omaa suhtautumistaan työhön tai omien arvojen pohjalla olevia dogmeja. Erittäin hyvä!
December 17, 2017
Wow, this book sucks so hard and is a complete fraud. It has a shameless selling title that suggests that you'll learn something about lives and mindsets of professiona hackers. That is not the case at all. This book is not about hackers at all, for it proposes the definition that suggests that any person who is expert in some field of human activities, passionate and anti capitalist - is in fact a hacker. Complete fraud, shameless false advertising! You literally learn more about the life in fucking convents than about computer hackers in this piece of garbage! Literally! And the writing style is soulcrushingly boring, unimaginative, subjective and the overall product is a universally useless book.
May 25, 2017
I enjoyed the forward and beginning of the book, and there were some interesting points about ethics and historical comparisons with old protestant ideas of work ethic and its influences, but when the author started discussing technology, politics, and economics it became clear that he had no idea what he was talking about. The second half of the book derailed completely and is at best incoherent nonsense.
If this book had been shorter and focused solely on hacker ethics and where it came from then I could have liked it.
If this book had been shorter and focused solely on hacker ethics and where it came from then I could have liked it.
September 24, 2022
Tulipas vihdoin luettua. Itelle tärkeitä keloja. Hakkerietiikka ohjannut vahvasti yrittäjyyteen ja yrittelijäisyyteen. Himanen kertoo hyvin työn ja työetiikan historiaa ja funtsii nykyisyyttä. Flow-tilassa painaminen kompleksisten asioiden parissa on pirun motivoivaa. Työn tulosten ilmainen jakaminen on pirun motivoivaa. Suuremman asian eteen työn paiskiminen on pirun motivoivaa.
January 21, 2019
1st half of the book is really interesting and shares a very interesting way to look at personal involvement in business activities & how to manage work/life balance
2nd half is not very well structured and could be skipped...
2nd half is not very well structured and could be skipped...
March 8, 2021
Casi todo lo que me gusta relacionado al mundo digital está acá. Abre el juego un Linus Torvalds inspirado (sí, el creador del kernel y líder del proyecto Linux) que resume en pocas carillas la propuesta del libro. Sigue luego Himanen compilando los conceptos de los grandes de la cultura hacker como Richard Stallman y Eric Raymond -Copyleft, GNU, open source- y cierra con el filósofo Manuel Castells.
Tenía a mi papá como modelo extremo de la ética protestante: el trabajo es un deber, un fin en sí mismo, no demasiado placentero y el gran estructurante de nuestro día, de nuestra semana y hasta de nuestra vida. Me transformó entender que podía ser algo divertido, desafiante y apasionante. Ya no tenía que ganarme el pan con el sudor de mi frente y acotar mis intereses al tiempo libre, sino que podía realizarme también a través del trabajo.
Muy interesante la vida monacal que rescata de Weber como inspiradora del trabajo capitalista del siglo XX como contraste de la nueva ética. Al estudiar el desarrollo del software se anticipa veinte años a lo que vemos hoy como novedad pos-cuarentena -por lo menos en grandes corporaciones-: trabajo virtual, por objetivos, colectivo, autónomo, guiado cada vez más por líderes visionarios y expertos y menos por burócratas que se limitan a mandar personas.
El autor desafía la centralidad del trabajo y de cómo su influencia hizo que hasta nuestro tiempo libre estén calendarizado al detalle. Deja en evidencia que -por más que están planteados desde lo espiritual- hasta los libros de autoayuda muchas veces terminan girando en torno al dinero (usa de ejemplo a Anthony Robbins, víctima perfecta para su crítica),
Lo que recorre estas páginas es la cultura en la que se formaron las grandes empresas tecnológicas y que subyace en casi todo lo interesante de las últimas décadas (blockchains como Bitcoin y Ethereum y DeFi, algunas de sus últimas expresiones). El riesgo que corren muchas veces es que al crecer exponencialmente hay una tendencia a volver a viejas formas de trabajo, siendo que habían nacido como una alternativa a ese modelo.
Tenía a mi papá como modelo extremo de la ética protestante: el trabajo es un deber, un fin en sí mismo, no demasiado placentero y el gran estructurante de nuestro día, de nuestra semana y hasta de nuestra vida. Me transformó entender que podía ser algo divertido, desafiante y apasionante. Ya no tenía que ganarme el pan con el sudor de mi frente y acotar mis intereses al tiempo libre, sino que podía realizarme también a través del trabajo.
Muy interesante la vida monacal que rescata de Weber como inspiradora del trabajo capitalista del siglo XX como contraste de la nueva ética. Al estudiar el desarrollo del software se anticipa veinte años a lo que vemos hoy como novedad pos-cuarentena -por lo menos en grandes corporaciones-: trabajo virtual, por objetivos, colectivo, autónomo, guiado cada vez más por líderes visionarios y expertos y menos por burócratas que se limitan a mandar personas.
El autor desafía la centralidad del trabajo y de cómo su influencia hizo que hasta nuestro tiempo libre estén calendarizado al detalle. Deja en evidencia que -por más que están planteados desde lo espiritual- hasta los libros de autoayuda muchas veces terminan girando en torno al dinero (usa de ejemplo a Anthony Robbins, víctima perfecta para su crítica),
Lo que recorre estas páginas es la cultura en la que se formaron las grandes empresas tecnológicas y que subyace en casi todo lo interesante de las últimas décadas (blockchains como Bitcoin y Ethereum y DeFi, algunas de sus últimas expresiones). El riesgo que corren muchas veces es que al crecer exponencialmente hay una tendencia a volver a viejas formas de trabajo, siendo que habían nacido como una alternativa a ese modelo.
January 26, 2016
While I vehemently dispute the prolog's Linus's Law, as just so much clap trap, most of the remaining book was an interesting dive into a modern form of philosophy. The author grabbed me with the historical mangling of our perceptions of heaven and hell by the Protestant work ethic, had me hanging on every word in the sections of how Capitalism and the Post Industrial world has actually evolved to be MORE work by the individual, and how passion about type of work is deemphasized while the soulless concept of being passionate about working is elevated. The third part, about nethics, netiquette, and how to open source our educational system was less interesting, as I feel changes like that, changes that can at best be described as utopian day dreams, and at worst as antiestablishment.
My major take away was the sheer impact of the Protestant work ethic on our global entire society. Changing the very meaning of secular and religious observances of Friday vs Saturday. Actually reshaping the interpretation of what awaits us in Heaven, going from a peaceful place while Hell was toil and turmoil, to Heaven engaging us in work to keep us occupied through eternity. Uplifting and elevating work simply as a means of worship rather than actually producing anything of value, and forcing us to not be introspective, but rather value our relationship to our job over almost all else.
I have personally lived my life following a handful of the seven hacker values described within the book, and lately have prioritized what makes me passionate, and what allows me to be the most creative. I took solace in the fact that there are others out there, across all disciplines, that share these values as well. Good book. Good read. Skip the epilog :0
My major take away was the sheer impact of the Protestant work ethic on our global entire society. Changing the very meaning of secular and religious observances of Friday vs Saturday. Actually reshaping the interpretation of what awaits us in Heaven, going from a peaceful place while Hell was toil and turmoil, to Heaven engaging us in work to keep us occupied through eternity. Uplifting and elevating work simply as a means of worship rather than actually producing anything of value, and forcing us to not be introspective, but rather value our relationship to our job over almost all else.
I have personally lived my life following a handful of the seven hacker values described within the book, and lately have prioritized what makes me passionate, and what allows me to be the most creative. I took solace in the fact that there are others out there, across all disciplines, that share these values as well. Good book. Good read. Skip the epilog :0
April 7, 2008
La ética del hacker y el espíritu de la era de la información, es una excelente visión de cómo se está creando valor profesional, social y de negocios a partir de internet. Recuperando en sentido origila del término "hacker" como inventores apasionados (y no como "cracker" que son los delincuentes informáticos) describe el espíritu, los valores, las habilidades y el mundo de los innovadores en la red. Elementos claves en la era wikinomics o Long Tail, como la pasión, la colaboración, el compartir, la incorproación en redes, la gratuidad, son característicos de esta fauna que se amplía, trasciende e integra al mundo "analógico".
Para responsables de promover la innovación y el emprendimiento, debiera ser obligada ocasión de exploración del nuevo mundo que emerge de la red, de oportunidades de socialización, invención y de negocios.
Una oportunidad de superar la brecha tecnológica, generacional y cultural.
Edición en español: La ética del hacker y el espíritu de la era de la información
Para responsables de promover la innovación y el emprendimiento, debiera ser obligada ocasión de exploración del nuevo mundo que emerge de la red, de oportunidades de socialización, invención y de negocios.
Una oportunidad de superar la brecha tecnológica, generacional y cultural.
Edición en español: La ética del hacker y el espíritu de la era de la información
February 14, 2011
Picked this up from the library rather randomly, and read it in 3 days - very thought provoking, especially because even though it's written 10 years ago, so much of what it grapples with is still - or even more - relevant today. While Egypt was flaring up, it was fascinating to read about how the Internet was used in the 1999 Kosovo crisis.
But for me the first 2 parts - on money as motivation, and our attitude towards work - were the most riveting. The "Hacker Ethic" is still clearly alive today, and much more evident in areas other than technical realms. How this ethic integrates (or not) with more traditional structures of work and life is a topic in need of some big answers. This book didn't offer much in the way of solution, but did do a great job in setting out the reasons and contexts for a lot of the divides in attitude around today.
Good read if you're into any of the media and information literature - especially as the main text is bookended nicely by Linus Torvalds at the start, and Manuel Castells at the end.
But for me the first 2 parts - on money as motivation, and our attitude towards work - were the most riveting. The "Hacker Ethic" is still clearly alive today, and much more evident in areas other than technical realms. How this ethic integrates (or not) with more traditional structures of work and life is a topic in need of some big answers. This book didn't offer much in the way of solution, but did do a great job in setting out the reasons and contexts for a lot of the divides in attitude around today.
Good read if you're into any of the media and information literature - especially as the main text is bookended nicely by Linus Torvalds at the start, and Manuel Castells at the end.
May 4, 2019
I did not like this book. Don't get me wrong there was nothing 'wrong' with it really it was just not the sort of book that I enjoyed reading it seems.
When I saw the title I was interested in what the Hacker Ethic was about, but the book turned out to be a long winded story about how other ethics work and how the hacker ethic compares to it. That's all fine and good since the reader needs a baseline understanding but I felt like the author went on and on and on ad nauseam using a bit WAY too much theology and making up stories that I feel were really just page filler.
I hope this doesn't deter me from reading future books on Ethics. Many times during the reading of this book I thought to myself "He could say the same thing in less than half the words, and less than half the grade level to understand the odd terms he's using." I wanted the book to end and stood by my computer even though I need to go to bed simply so I could write this out and be done with it.
When I saw the title I was interested in what the Hacker Ethic was about, but the book turned out to be a long winded story about how other ethics work and how the hacker ethic compares to it. That's all fine and good since the reader needs a baseline understanding but I felt like the author went on and on and on ad nauseam using a bit WAY too much theology and making up stories that I feel were really just page filler.
I hope this doesn't deter me from reading future books on Ethics. Many times during the reading of this book I thought to myself "He could say the same thing in less than half the words, and less than half the grade level to understand the odd terms he's using." I wanted the book to end and stood by my computer even though I need to go to bed simply so I could write this out and be done with it.
June 26, 2013
Me quedo con esto:
From the hacker viewpoint, leisure-centeredness may be just as undesirable as work-centeredness. Hackers want to do something significant: they want to create. While they avoid work that does not give rise to an opportunity for creativity, they also consider leisure as such insufficient as an ideal state. A Sunday spent in apathetic leisure can be as insufferable as a Friday.
Hackers do not feel that leisure time is automatically any more meaningful than work time. The desirability of both depends on how they are realized. From the point of view of a meaningful life, the entire work/leisure duality must be abandoned. As long as we are living our work or our leisure, we are not even truly living. Meaning cannot be found in work or leisure but has to arise out of the nature of the activity itself. Out of passion. Social value. Creativity.
From the hacker viewpoint, leisure-centeredness may be just as undesirable as work-centeredness. Hackers want to do something significant: they want to create. While they avoid work that does not give rise to an opportunity for creativity, they also consider leisure as such insufficient as an ideal state. A Sunday spent in apathetic leisure can be as insufferable as a Friday.
Hackers do not feel that leisure time is automatically any more meaningful than work time. The desirability of both depends on how they are realized. From the point of view of a meaningful life, the entire work/leisure duality must be abandoned. As long as we are living our work or our leisure, we are not even truly living. Meaning cannot be found in work or leisure but has to arise out of the nature of the activity itself. Out of passion. Social value. Creativity.
April 25, 2012
A good read about the "Hacker ethic". That's Hacker as in problem solver, not as in "cracker"--someone who breaks into computers.
The book is one person's, though a deep thinking person's, view of how the hacker ethic fits in to modern society. His view is that the protestant ethic of valuing hard work for the sake of it is passe (I don't know how to make the accent on the e). The new value is working hard at something because it is fun and meaningful.
I strongly agree with that basic premise, though he goes a bit further into examining and explaining things at at some point I stopped believing it, but maybe I just never thought that much about it.
I recommend this if you like to meta-think things.
The book is one person's, though a deep thinking person's, view of how the hacker ethic fits in to modern society. His view is that the protestant ethic of valuing hard work for the sake of it is passe (I don't know how to make the accent on the e). The new value is working hard at something because it is fun and meaningful.
I strongly agree with that basic premise, though he goes a bit further into examining and explaining things at at some point I stopped believing it, but maybe I just never thought that much about it.
I recommend this if you like to meta-think things.
November 28, 2013
Had some alright content, but not nearly enough to justify its size - I feel like it would have been way better if it had been an essay. And it could easily have fitted into an essay if you stripped it down to the parts that are actually on its topic. Most of it seemed to be completely irrelevant stuff padding the book out. I kept expecting it to be tied back into the topic, but it never was. The authors lack of understanding of technology was quite noticeable too. The way he keeps talking about the internet as "self-modifying hypertext" was particularly bad.
December 25, 2014
The Hacker Ethic is a thought provoking dialogue on hacker ethics and philosophy as written by Pekka Himanen, a Finnish philosopher who incorporates Ancient Greek and Roman philosophy and social science research in his description of hackers. Includes a prologue by Linus Torvolds, the software engineer behind the principal development of the popular free operating system Linux, and an epilogue by Manuel Castells, Professor of Sociology and Director of the Internet Interdisciplinary Institute at the Open University of Catalonia in Barcelona, Spain.
April 8, 2017
Great structure with the merge of the hacker and the two sociologist. It was great to make the trip from the monastic rules of benedict to scientific institutions the personal computer and more. Love manuel castells!
Clever, inspirational and funny book, must be re-read someday.
Made me think if this 'new' way of work is happening for 50 years now (passion, money ethics, community centered approach), and still not percade all corporations and platforms... when will this shift happen? Okay, paradigm shifts happen slooowly... but... this is still the priviledge of a very few...
Clever, inspirational and funny book, must be re-read someday.
Made me think if this 'new' way of work is happening for 50 years now (passion, money ethics, community centered approach), and still not percade all corporations and platforms... when will this shift happen? Okay, paradigm shifts happen slooowly... but... this is still the priviledge of a very few...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 30, 2010
Che mi ricordi il primo saggio che si occupa di etica hacker, e non di hackers, e che lo fa dal punto di vista del riflesso della loro cultura sulla moderna società digitale e non dal punto di vista cronachistico (per non dire scandalistico ... ).
Un saggio a maggior ragione apprezzabile alla luce del recente diffondersi del fenomeno blog prima, e di quello dei social network poi.
Da leggere, assolutamente.
Un saggio a maggior ragione apprezzabile alla luce del recente diffondersi del fenomeno blog prima, e di quello dei social network poi.
Da leggere, assolutamente.
August 15, 2021
Interesante análisis del contrapunto, entre la ética Hacker y la ética protestante, requiere una actualización, los años pasados post publicación han sido especialmente interesantes, especialmente desde 2009 con la aparición de la tecnología Blockchain.
El epilogo por Manuel Castells, es realmente una compendio de farfulladas sociológicas, que no suma, y peor aun, hace que el libro de Pekka Himanen tenga una conclusión más interesante.
El epilogo por Manuel Castells, es realmente una compendio de farfulladas sociológicas, que no suma, y peor aun, hace que el libro de Pekka Himanen tenga una conclusión más interesante.
May 27, 2023
“Današnji kapitalizam počiva na eksploataciji znanstvenog komunizma!” Kada se čovjek služi svim informacijama koje potječu od drugih a vlastite uskraćuje, posrijedi je etička dilema. Ta se dilema sve više zaoštrava s napretkom informacijskog doba, jer sve veći dio vrijednosti proizvoda potiče od istraživanja koje je u njih ugrađeno.
August 22, 2016
I finally understand the term 'hackathon'. Using Linux as an example the Hacker ethos is really about sharing and making things better for everyone. It's building upon ideas and bringing them together virtually. Good short book for anyone interested in the evolution and philosophy behind hactivism.
December 1, 2016
Creo que lo mejor del libro son las primeras 100 páginas. Hay momentos en los que se hace difícil de leer. Ha sido el libro con el que más problemas he tenido a la hora de concentrarme en la lectura, y no es porque utilice un lenguaje excesivamente complejo, sofísticado o técnico.
En general, es un tema interesante y tiene algunos puntos que merece la pena releer para interiorizar.
En general, es un tema interesante y tiene algunos puntos que merece la pena releer para interiorizar.
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March 13, 2019Una decepción. Esperaba un texto sobre la ética de los hackers (como dice el título). Pero realmente es un tratado sobre la moral protestante y su relación con el trabajo. Seguramente yo esté de acuerdo con la tesis del autor, pero me ha aburrido muchísimo su forma de argumentarla y tampoco puedo decir que haya aprendido nada revelador.
April 10, 2020
A fab book to understand how the information society works but the main value of 'The Hacker Ethic' is the comparison with the Protestant work ethic. Pekka explains that philosophy's roots in monastic life, and contrasts it with the 'hacker ethic' and its roots in academic/scientific practices. It made me examine my own work habits more closely.
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